


Meeting For The First Time Once More

by A_Little_Bit_Broken



Series: The Past Is Present [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Coffee, Coffee Shops, College, First Meetings, M/M, Past Lives, Redemption, Staring, Supernatural Elements, Vampires, genius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-03 03:32:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Little_Bit_Broken/pseuds/A_Little_Bit_Broken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He notices him the first day of class. It isn't hard to do.  He knows that face. They've met before, in another life. Somehow, they meet once more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting For The First Time Once More

He notices him the first day of class. It isn't hard to do. He stands out, after all, even in the sea of bored, disillusioned faces. Rich, dark hair, pale skin, piercing green eyes, flawless bone structure and slender limbs. Prettier than all the girls and so very young. He can't be more than sixteen or seventeen, if even that. This is a second year lit class. He has to be brilliant to be here already.

Ghede's pretty certain he is. 

He's quiet, doesn't say much in class. In fact, a lot of the time he doesn't seem to be paying attention. The teacher doesn't appear to like him much. He picks on him, in Ghede's opinion -- though, it might be justified since he never seems like he's totally there. He answers every question he's asked with ease though, so the teacher can't say much to him. Ghede is impressed. He wonders why he bothers with the class but fervently hopes he keeps coming. 

His name is Seine Hamilton. Ghede knew his last name from the teacher addressing him, he finds out his first when they have their first course test. He sits in the back of Ghede's row for it and they have to pass their papers forward. Seine finishes before everyone else in the room. 

He gets a near perfect score.

They have a group assignment after that. Everyone wants to be in group with Seine. He tells the teacher he'll work on his own. The teacher won't let him. He randomly assigns the groups. Seine isn't in Ghede's group. 

Ghede is disappointed.

The assignments are handed in and the groups get back their scores. Seine's group gets the highest. Ghede's group is second. Seine looks his way for the first time all semester. Ghede's heart stutters. 

He ruminates on that look for days. It felt as if Seine could see straight through him, could see all the dark stains on his soul. It felt like he _knew_ and didn't care. But that was impossible. 

He refuses to let himself consider the possibility that Seine has simply taken an interest in him.

Seine doesn't look his way again for nearly two weeks. It may be the most stressful two weeks of Ghede's long life. 

It is just after midterms. Ghede feels eyes on him and looks across and back to see Seine watching him. He turns back around. The sensation of eyes lasts the entire class. 

Ghede packs up after class, taking his time. The other students slowly trickle out. When he looks up, he and Seine are the only ones left. He leans against his desk, folds his arms and waits. He's nervous but he'd never admit it. 

Seine moves towards him, his steps deliberate. He stops nearly toe to toe with Ghede. He doesn't say anything.

Ghede raises an eyebrow. "Yes?" He asks carefully, ensuring his voice is devoid of the excitement humming through his veins. He's never been this close to Seine before. It's so much easier to examine his features at this distance.

He knows he's right in what he thought the first time he saw him. _I know him_. 

He looks different but the resemblance is still strong, strong enough that Ghede made the connection. And more than his physical appearance, Ghede sees the hints of who he used to be in that brilliant mind and that unconscious sensual manner. What would he think, Ghede wonders, if he told him they'd already met, so long ago?

"You've been watching me." Seine says. "Since the first day. Why?"

He had noticed? 

"Do I need a reason?" Ghede asks, avoiding answering. 

"For staring at someone? Yes, people tend to have a reason when they do things like that."

Ghede shrugs. "Maybe I just find you interesting."

"And yet, you've never approached me. I wonder why."

"Maybe I'm shy."

Seine smiles then. "You're not shy. No, there's something else. Tell me."

Ghede shakes his head. Seine wouldn't believe him even if he did. He asks a question of his own instead. "What made _you_ notice _me_? What made you approach me?"

Seine shrugs almost imperceptibly.

"I've always noticed you and my curiosity finally overwhelmed me. I couldn't resist." His smile gets wider. "Have coffee with me. Bet I can get you to tell me why you stare."

Ghede raises an eyebrow. He's never been good at resisting challenges. "Okay." He agrees. 

They go off campus for coffee because there is honestly no truly decent coffee to be found on campus. A few people stare at them as they walk through the town but Ghede ignores them. He knows what it looks like, given that Seine has hooked his arm in Ghede's and he's actually only fifteen -- though he made sure to point out that his birthday was in a few weeks when he admitted it to Ghede -- but the reality is actually far different so he doesn't let them bother him. 

They have their coffee at a table outside the shop. They have pastries too and Seine tries to get at Ghede's fascination with him. He comes close with "I remind you of someone." so Ghede agrees to that but Seine can't get at _who_ he reminds Ghede of. 

Ghede knows it's unfair, that Seine won't ever get it because, after all, who is going to come up with "I remind you of myself."? Who is going to come up with "We've met in a past life of mine -- two of them, in fact -- which you remember because, as a vampire, you're immortal, and so when you look at me you see who I used to be. " No one would ever think of something like that.

Seine doesn't seem to mind losing the bet too much at the end and good naturedly asks Ghede what he wants for his winnings. 

"You didn't really lose." Ghede offers. "You guessed you remind me of someone.

Seine waves a hand. "That's easy. But I couldn't guess who so you win. Pick your prize."

Ghede asks for a proper date. 

Seine looks surprised but agrees. They head back to campus, parting to go to their next classes. As Ghede watches Seine walk away he can't help but smile. There is a fragile hope blooming in his chest. He's gotten another chance. He knows where this story goes; he knows he won't be it for Seine, but he can help him, shelter him until he's ready. Maybe he can even redeem the terrible things that he had done that first time they had met. 

Maybe. 

But whether he could or couldn't, he would help Seine to a happy ending this time too just as he had the last time.


End file.
